ExplanationAlhumdulillah we have reached Rabbana Dua #28 which is verse number 10 of Surah Kahf. In our journey through these supplications we have arrived at the central portion of the Quran. Surah Kahf is the surah in the middle of the Quran, Surah Kahf, begins with the same word that Surah Fatihah begins with, which is ‘Alhumdulillah’. Surah Kahf is unique because most of it is devoted to the relating or elaborating of stories:⚜ The people of the cave,
⚜ The man with the two gardens,
⚜ A reference to Adam and Shaytaan,
⚜ Musa and Khidr and
⚜ finally Dul Qarnain.

It was revealed at the time of extreme persecution of the Prophet and the Sahabah at the hands of the Quraish in Mecca.

The Surah was revealed in response to the questions posed by the Quraish to the Prophet ﷺ. Either the Quraish sought out the assistance of the Jews in order to disprove RasulAllah’s status as a Messenger or the Jews persuaded the Quraish to ask these questions:

Allah did not reveal ayaat to answer all the questions posed by the disbelievers. He chose, however, to reply to this specific set of inquiries not because there was any sincerity on the part of the Quraish, but rather the purpose was to highlight the parallels between the life of the Companions of the Cave and their conflict with the pagan cultures that they resided in and the then present condition of the believers in Meccan society.

The ayaat of the Quran reassured the believers that those who have tawakkul and supplicate for relief, ultimately receive the guidance and help of Allah. It is a foreshadowing of the upcoming migrations to Abyssinia and Madinah and soon the Prophet ﷺ will himself be seeking refuge in the cave of Thaur.

There are an overwhelming number of conflicting accounts of who exactly the Ashabul Kahaf were, how many they were, to which city did they belong and how long they stayed in the cave. The Qur’an specifically instructs us to avoid going into hair splitting detail about this incident. The focus is drawn instead to the morale behind the story and the lessons that can be learned from it and implemented in our own lives.

It is clear that they were a group of young men from the elite of society who abandoned the pagan ways of their community and adopted Tawheed. They were proud of their faith and defiantly resisted all attempts at reintegration and assimilation. Youth is generally associated with brash, emotional irresponsibility. Even the young men and women that apparently become observant of their faith sometimes retain these undesirable characteristics. These young men, however, adopt their faith and turned to Allah in a most beautiful manner. They assess the reality of their situation and realize that the whole society is opposed to them. They do not become violent or loud; rather they confer among themselves and quietly seek a place of refuge. Truth has become ingrained in their heart so the very thought of returning to ways of their people or even putting on a pretense of adopting shirk is abhorrent to them. When they enter the cave, they make this supplication:

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, “Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.”{Surah Kahf 18: Verse 10}

The word ‘Awa’ means to ‘join something for protection’ and ‘fitya’ refers to ‘young men in their late teens’. They seek refuge in this ‘kahf’ or cave as a last resort in a seemingly hopeless situation. It is a very severe test of their faith. If they do not surrender, their dunya is threatened; if they do surrender it puts their akhirah in peril. They opt for success in the akhirah and the pleasure of Allah and abandon all the temptations of this world, entering the cave with just their faith and trust in the help of Allah.

They supplicate for mercy from their Lord, and they pray He creates the most favorable circumstances for them. These words are spoken when entering a dark cave with no escape in sight. This Rabbana Dua highlights the inner state of the human being. We are a reflection of our desires and hopes. They yearn for guidance in their affairs and request it with the confidence that only Allah can provide it.

Reflection➯Belief in Tawheed should be transformative.
These young men did not merely say they believed in One God, they testified to it by their actions: they courageously walked away from their pagan society, leaving the comfort of their homes and families. And they did this with dignity and self-restraint.

➯There is not one uniform way to pass the test of Eeman.In certain circumstances persistently propagating and preaching is required, while at other times the wise thing to do is to retreat and withdraw from a toxic situation. Most Muslims reside in countries where either they are in a minority, or the Muslims around them have adopted and inculcated all practices and celebrations from the non-Muslims. People change their names, and alter their appearance to assimilate effectively but essentially they lose their identity in the process. In the current condition of rampant anti-Muslim sentiment and anti-Islamic rhetoric sometimes the most advisable thing to do is to remain calm, make dua and seek refuge with Allah.This is the key to preserving ones eman in times when opposition comes from within the home and without.

➯ Dua without effort is insufficient, and effort without supplication is ineffective.
Musa had to strike the water with his staff, and Maryam had to shake the palm tree before they became recipients of miracles. These young men also planned a route and made the effort to seek refuge in the cave and then they prayed for ‘right guidance.’ The quality of their eman was such that Allah commanded the Heavens and Earth to make their nap comfortable. Their story provided comfort to the Sahabah who were patiently persevering despite the persecution of the Quraish. It also teaches you and me, here and now, that under all circumstances we should remain firm upon our faith and never compromise it.

May Allah make us a generation of perseverance and strong faith. A generation that transforms their knowledge into action and understands the importance of Ihsan and Tawheed – ameen ya rabbul alameen.